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Trend in track mode

Taking a closer look at the musical modes of songs, the plot depicts the number of songs in major and minor per decade. The right y-axis represents the ratio between major and minor songs in each decade. From the visualization, we observe a relatively stable ratio between the 1960s and the 1990s, hovering around 3, indicating that major songs outnumbered minor songs by three times. However, a noteworthy shift occurred in the 2000s, where the ratio gradually declined and fell below 2, implying a relatively higher proportion of minor songs compared to other decades. This phenomenon may be caused by several factors. One possibility is that there was a shift in popular music tastes during the 2000s, with a greater appreciation for minor key tonalities in mainstream music. Another possibility is that advancements in music technology and production techniques made it easier and more accessible for artists to experiment with and produce music in minor keys. Overall, this plot provides valuable insight into the trends and shifts in popular music over the past few decades and highlights the importance of considering both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of musical data analysis.

Visualizing this trend

Now let’s take a closer look at an individual song. This example shows the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. On the right you can see a the chromagram of this song. A chromagram is a visual representation of the pitch content of a piece of music. It breaks down the frequencies of the notes played in the song and shows how much of each pitch is present at any given moment. The chromagram for “Bohemian Rhapsody” is particularly interesting because of the song’s intricate harmonies and layering of vocals and instruments.

The song, which was written by Freddie Mercury and released in 1975, is widely regarded as a masterpiece of rock music. Its unconventional structure, combining elements of rock, opera, and balladry, and its intricate harmonies and instrumentation, have made it a beloved classic and a staple of radio airplay and movie soundtracks.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” begins with a gentle piano introduction, gradually building in intensity with the addition of drums, bass, and guitar. Mercury’s powerful vocals enter with the first verse, setting the stage for the song’s complex narrative and emotional arc. The middle section of the song features a stunning a cappella vocal passage, showcasing the intricate harmonies and layering that are a hallmark of the Queen sound.

As the song progresses, the instrumentation and vocal arrangements continue to evolve and build, reaching a powerful climax with the famous “Galileo” section and the explosive guitar solo. The song then returns to its gentle opening piano melody, bringing the listener on a full emotional journey from soft and contemplative to bombastic and triumphant.

In summary, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a testament to the creativity, innovation, and musicianship of the members of Queen. Its lasting popularity and influence on rock music make it an important part of any discussion of the genre, and its chromagram provides a fascinating glimpse into the song’s intricate musical elements.

Here we have another perspective on the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. On the right you can see a cepstrogram showing the spectral content of the song over time. A cepstrogram is a type of spectrogram that displays the frequency spectrum of a signal, but with the added dimension of time. It can provide valuable insight into the complex harmonic structure and timbre of a piece of music.

Looking at the cepstrogram of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” we can see the complex interplay of harmonics and overtones that are a hallmark of the Queen sound. One interesting feature of the cepstrogram is the presence of multiple harmonics and overtones at different frequencies. This is due to the complex interplay of the different instruments and voices in the song, which create a rich and layered sound.

Furthermore, the cepstrogram shows a relatively high magnitude around 21 and 85 seconds into the song. This can be attributed to Freddie Mercury’s impressive vocal range and his sustained high notes on these timestamps, which are accompanied by intricate harmonies and instrumentation. The 21-second mark marks the beginning of the iconic a cappella section of the song, where Mercury’s voice is prominently featured in a complex arrangement of harmonies and counterpoints. The 85-second mark marks the beginning of Freddie’s solo, singing his famous “Mama”, which is one of the most memorable moments of the song.

Overall, the spectral content of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is constantly changing and evolving, reflecting the emotional arc of the lyrics and the dynamic shifts in instrumentation and vocal arrangements. The cepstrogram provides a fascinating glimpse into the complex harmonic and timbral elements of this classic rock song, showcasing the creativity and musicianship of the band members. As such, it is a valuable tool for understanding the song’s lasting popularity and influence on the genre of rock music.

This histogram on the right shows the distribution of musical keys in the playlist. The keys are represented by integers from 0 to 11, with 0 being the key of C and 11 being the key of B. This is because the C-tone is commonly seen as the first key in an octave. By transformation, these numbers have been altered to their correct key name.

We can see that the most common keys in this playlist are A and D, which have higher frequencies compared to the other keys; respectively 66 times for A and 63 for D. This means that almost 30% of the songs in this playlist are in either A or D key. This prevalence of A and D can be explained by their popularity in rock music. A and D are both common guitar keys, and many rock songs are written in these keys to take advantage of the open strings on the guitar. In addition, A and D keys are often used for power chords, which are frequently used in rock music to create a heavy and distorted sound.

Interestingly, the histogram also shows that the keys of C, G, and E are relatively common in this playlist. This suggests that the playlist contains a mix of rock sub-genres that use different key signatures, such as blues rock, hard rock, and alternative rock. The keys of D#, G#, and A# are the least common in the playlist. This is not surprising since these keys are relatively uncommon in rock music, and may be used more frequently in other genres such as classical or jazz.

In summary, this histogram provides insights into the distribution of musical keys in a rock music playlist. The prevalence of A and D keys can be attributed to their popularity in rock music and their use in power chords. The relatively common use of C, G, and E keys suggests a diverse range of rock sub-genres in the playlist. The least common keys in the playlist, such as D#, G#, and A#, may be more common in other genres.

Again, we take a look at Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, one of the most iconic rock songs of all time. If you take a look on the right here, you can see a tempogram of this song. A tempogram is a visual representation of a song’s tempo over time. In this case, the x-axis shows the time in seconds and the y-axis shows the BPM intensity. The tempogram reveals that the tempo of Bohemian Rhapsody changes throughout the song. From 180 seconds to 240 seconds, the BPM increases from around 140 to around 150. This change in tempo is a notable feature of the song and reflects Queen’s use of intricate arrangements.

Queen was known for creating music that was more complex than typical rock music. They often used multiple instruments playing different parts at different times, which gave their music a sense of depth and complexity. This is evident in Bohemian Rhapsody, which features complex time signatures and tempo changes that set it apart from other rock music of the time. In terms of BPM, rock music usually falls within the range of 120-160 BPM, with some songs going as high as 180 BPM or more. Queen’s music often pushed the boundaries of this range, with songs like Bohemian Rhapsody featuring unique tempo changes that were ahead of their time.

Overall, the tempogram for Bohemian Rhapsody provides valuable insights into the tempo and rhythm of the song. It highlights the unique features of Queen’s music and gives us a better understanding of the band’s creative choices.

Track duration

Taking all these visualizations into consideration we can conclude the following. We can see a few interesting trends and developments in terms of the rock music genre over time. First and foremost, one of the most interesting visualizations is that of the change of track duration over time. The most interesting thing to see is that tracks were generally the longest in the year 1982 and the 80s in general. This is due to the production of devices and files that could hold longer music. This was greatly made use of as some songs could take over 8 minutes to finish. We can see that, a few decades later the duration of tracks shortened more because there was no necessity and need for longer tracks. Audio files of type MP3 or MP4 could hold thousands of songs and on top of that people probably developed a preference towards shorter songs, maybe also because there attention span shortened, because of shorter media like videos, movies and mobile games.

Prevelance of mode

Another interesting conclusion is that with regards to the prevalence of mode visualization. This plot shows the change of major and minor songs in terms of count and ratio per decade. Although the 90s has the least amount of songs in this corpus, it shows almost the highest ratio of major to minor songs. And interesting occurrence is that of the ratio dipping suddenly. This observation shows that there were relatively more songs in minor than major in the 90s. This could be explained due to the rise of grunge and alternative rock in the 90s, which often featured songs in minor keys. Grunge, in particular, is known for its heavy use of minor chords and darker themes, which could have contributed to the higher ratio of minor songs during this period. Additionally, the 90s were a time of social and cultural change, with the rise of Gen X and the emergence of new subcultures, which may have influenced the musical preferences of the era.

It is also worth noting that the sudden dip in the ratio of major to minor songs could be attributed to a shift in popular music trends in the late 90s and early 00s. This time saw the rise of pop punk and nu-metal, which often featured songs in major keys and more upbeat, energetic tempos. This shift in musical styles could have influenced the prevalence of major mode in rock music during this time.

Prevelance of key

Finally, we take a look at the prevalence of the keys used in the corpus. We can see that keys D, G and A are used most often. When talking about rock music, a big part of this can be explained by the use of guitars in the genre. These keys are popular among guitarists because they are relatively easy to play on the instrument and provide a full, rich sound. D, G, and A are all open chords, meaning they use the open strings on the guitar, which makes them easy to play even for beginners. In addition, these keys lend themselves well to the blues and pentatonic scales, which are widely used in rock music.

Moreover, the prevalence of these keys can be attributed to the influence of blues and country music on rock music. The blues, in particular, often features songs in the keys of D, G, and A, which were then adopted by rock musicians who were inspired by the genre. Country music also uses these keys frequently, and its influence on rock music can be seen in the use of twangy guitar sounds and storytelling lyrics.

Concluding all this

In summary, the analysis of rock music revealed interesting trends and developments in this genre over time. The change in track duration was interesting, with songs becoming shorter over time due to technological advancements and changes in audience preferences. The prevalence of major and minor modes varied by decade, with the 90s featuring a higher ratio of minor songs due to the rise of grunge and alternative rock, while the late 90s and early 00s saw a shift towards major keys in popular music trends. The prevalence of the keys D, G, and A can be explained by their popularity among guitarists, as well as the influence of blues and country music on the genre. Overall, these changes provide insight into the evolution of rock music over the decades and the various factors that have influenced its development.

Looking back on creating this portfolio over the duration of a two-month period. I can say that I have learned a lot, but there are some things that I would have done different in hindsight. On top of this, there are also things that I would still like to explore or research in the future.

One of the biggest things that I didn’t have the time for was comparing different songs to each other, to see if there are differences or similarities between songs within the rock genre. Overlaying these songs would have maybe given me more insight into how these rock songs relate to each other in terms of key, chords or tempo.

Finally, I look back on this portfolio in a positive manner. I have not only learned a lot about the topic of musicology (within the rock genre), but also how to analyse (musical) data, use the Spotify API and create a R markdown with flexdashboard.